Not Natural
by Castoro Chiaro
Summary: Sokka and Aang have a little chat about cooties, crushes, and being a lady's man over a game of Four Nation Tiles. [Kataang]


Because Aang and Sokka conversations are fun xD . I noticed Sokka and Katara playing a game with tiles that looked like the game Iroh was playing once, so I treated the game as a competetive one. Plus, I didn't want them playin' Pi Sho ('cause that gets used too much, y'know?). By the by, I'm a pure-Sukka gal, but I gave you guys a little Tokka fanservice in this. Because I love all you readers that much

AtLA. Not mine. Bah.

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_Not Natural_

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It was another evening in Ba Sing Se, with no remarkable activities to speak of. The girls were still on their day out, leaving those of XY chromosones time to themselves, which they took advantage of by playing Four Element Tiles. Both spoke very little, finding they enjoyed the resonating quiet which rung with the lack of Toph's constant whining about how terrible this city was and Katara's chiding about upkeep to be done on their small apartment. For some reason, she insisted it be kept clean and orderly, despite the fact they only planned to use it for a short time. Must've been a girl thing, Aang concluded, putting a fire tile on the table.

"It's just not _natural_," Sokka's mutter cut through the pregnant silence like a firecracker. As such, Aang flinched slightly, raising a brow at this rather haphazard declaration.

"Hm?"

With the _click _of another tile being placed and a considering look at his remaining tiles, Sokka elaborated. "I've just been thinking to myself for a long time, about this thing with you and Katara."

Unable to stop a slight flush from rising on his cheeks, Aang said, "What? What _thing_?"

"This little crush of yours or whatever," Sokka continued, causing a new wave of heat to break out across Aang's face. "Oh, stop looking at me like I'm incriminating you. I never said it was _wrong_, I said it was _unnatural_."

"...that makes no sense, Sokka," Aang stared at his friend incredulously. He liked Sokka, but the guy had a habit of saying really wierd things.

Obviously, the Water Tribesman had been hoping for confusion, because, holding himself with an air of superiority, he continued his thought, "Well, what I mean, first off, you're like, what, _twelve_?"

"Thirteen in two months," Aang said, placing a tile.

"Really? Cool, cool. But, anyways, you're still a _kid_. And, you're a monk."

"Yeah...and how does that make my..._thing _for Katara unnatural?" it still felt awkward to be talking about this.

"In a couple ways, based on those two facts alone: At your age, aren't you supposed to think girls have cooties or something?"

"Coo-what?"

"Y'know, _cooties_. Those things girls have."

"What are those?"

Sokka paused, a befuddlement coming across his features.

"...I don't really know. I just remember being afraid of cooties as a kid. I never really knew what they were or what they did."

"Sokka, how can I be afraid of something if I don't even know what it is?"

"Well, okay, I guess you have a point. But when I was about your age, though, I wouldn't go _near _my sister if I could avoid it...though, come to think of it, there weren't many other girls besides her to avoid," well, that argument fell flat on its face. But, Sokka was used to arguing quite long and passionately with his sister, so he always had spare points to make if ever one failed. "Aside from that, you're a monk, too. Meaning--"

"Before you go off making guesses about what that means, can I ask how much you _know _about 'us monks'?" there were very few things Aang was touchy about; his heritage was one of them.

That was definately an unexpected reaction on Aang's part. But, then, Sokka had never taken time to talk much to Aang about his life at the temples or much about what being an airbender monk even meant. He'd always been under the assumption monks were these wholly spiritual people who largely avoided romantic relationships for some strange reason. But then, he thought, _somebody _had to have had a relationship with a lady, because there was a airbender child sitting in front of him, undoubtedly the product of a monk who broke steriotype.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to insult your upbringing," Sokka appologized, flusteredly trying to plot out both his arguement and his fading chance at winning the game, thanks to a rather slipshod hand of tiles.

"It's okay," Aang's rather placiated expression returned. Apparently, he was under the assumtion Sokka had forgotten the previous topic.

"Well, there's also the fact that she's older than you and taller!"

Aang groaned, looking more annoyed than embarrassed.

"_Please _tell me you're not planning to bug me about the 'unnaturalness' of my..._thing_ with Katara. Look, I don't _really _understand what being shorter and younger has to do with love--_things, _I mean!"--a new blush--"but--"

"Of COURSE not! That's another thing about being a kid: you're not supposed to have relationships yet! You need to wait 'til you're a _man _for that, like yours truly," Sokka beamed with pride.

"Hm. Somehow I'd think being a _man _like you would make girls like me less," Aang's expression and tone bespoke both amusement and truthfulness. Sokka, of course, was flabbergasted and offended.

"What?! And just what's _that _supposed to mean, arrowboy?"

"Nothing, nothing, I just noticed how you treat women is all. You sort of show off to them and Katara says she likes a man who's earnest."

The retort flew before properly processing in Sokka's brain: "Well, then, lucky for both of you, I'm not dating Katara!"

Well, all conversation was killed at that point, both sides overtaken with awkwardness and disgust at the various images _that _one instilled. Finally, Sokka, pride battered, his arguement having taken a fatal blow, threw out one last attempt at making a point.

"Well, if you _really _think age doesn't matter and all that, then I think it's unnatural to just settle on one girl. I mean, there's a whole _world _of women probably already making claims at your virgi--er...at wanting to dating you...--"Sokka figured mature humor of that sort would just fly over Aang's head--"so why settle on one? You should follow _my _philosophy on life: charm a thousand girls, get a million smooches, and, when you've come of full age, settle on the best one. It's the happiest way to live, in this humble Water Tribesman's opinion."

A slight pause.

"Hm. Maybe you're right."

"See? I've thought my arguement out. I know quite a lot more than you when it comes to stuff like romance and definately when it comes to arguing."

"Gotta hand it to ya, Sokka, you've opened _my _eyes right up," Aang placed another tile on the table.

"Glad you see it my way, Aang," Sokka was glowing with praise, feeling his ego swell ten sizes.

"This new philosophy has got me thinking: Suki's a pretty girl. Maybe she'd be more impressed with a guy who can bend almost all four elements."

"Sure--wait, what?"

"And Toph? Well, she is my age and all. She seems all tough on the outside but inside she's a big softie. I've always been good at bringing that part of a person out. Maybe I should give it a try."

"Whoa, whoa, maybe you should--"

"And that girl from the tea shop you said was so pretty? She seemed pretty impressed that I was the Avatar--"

"Okay, this has officially gone too far!" Sokka bolted to his feet, flushed with fury. "Fine! You can have Katara! Just stay away from _my _ladies, got it?!"

With that, the warrior stomped out of the room, grumbling angrily to himself about how rediculous it was his biggest competition in the love game was some near-thirteen-year-old bald monk. As soon as Sokka's thundrous steps disappeared out of the house, Aang allowed a full grin to break out across his face. Placing the winning tile on the board, he got to his feet in a gust of air and did a small victorious waltz across the room to the front door to go wait for the girls.

Things with Katara just got a lot more...what was the word he was trying to think of?

Natural.


End file.
